It’s time to review another SeaDoo product. This time we will be checking out the RS2 SeaScooter Model. This is the middle version of three choices which SeaDoo produces for its RS series. SeaDoo is among the most popular diver propulsion vehicle manufacturers, so you can purchase a DPV from them with some confidence that you will get a well built machine for the price you pay.

Cost

SeaDoo has a host of underwater diver propulsion vehicles starting at the low-end to mid-range level. It’s important to mention the price of a device at the outset because it lays the foundation for our expectations. A device may have minimal features, but at a low price might be a good buy for the purpose you want to use it for. Conversely, with a higher price, one expects to receive a full range of options. The SeaDoo RS2 scooter has an MSRP of about $1,200, but we have spotted it for as low as $772.95 at dealers who have an underwater scooters sale. This puts the RS2 squarely in the mid-range category.

Speed

This scooter’s speed can be controlled with three gears and it can reach a top speed of 3 miles per hour (mph). This is the same speed you can get on a $450 device so even though it may be decent, it’s nothing to marvel at. It does produce 300 watts of power so it may be able to reach the 3 mph while propelling an adult along with some added weight. The lower-end models which, though, they have high advertised speeds, are unlikely to reach them unless the devices are pulling light-weight adolescents.

Battery & Weight

The battery on the RS2 is a lithium-ion, the advanced compact battery technology which is used in high-tech personal gadgets, like cell phones and tablets. The battery is designed to minimize space needed and the weight of the device, while providing extended runtimes. For the RS2, the battery does help keep the weight at an industry low 16.5 pounds. This is an amazing feat, because equivalently priced underwater scooters can weigh up to 45 pounds. This machine can be easily used for shore dives where you may have to carry the device for longer periods before you can dive in the water.

However, the lithium-ion technology doesn’t do much for dive time, which is a standard 90 minutes. You can get that much time on a budget-class DPV. At almost $800 (on sale), we were expecting at least another 30 minutes of runtime. For the additional money, you do get an “advanced” battery indicator on the handlebar.

Craftsmanship

The material and especially plastic used to build the device really seems like the cheap kind you would find on budget models. SeaDoo does have some excellently priced lower models with similar material, but it’s beyond us why they would not upgrade the material quality for a higher priced (by a wide margin) model.

The low quality of the material has caused some serious issues as well. The plastic screw cap, which you have to loosen to access the battery compartment and the recharge port, tends to break off fairly easily. This is a problem since you have to tighten the knob after each recharge to prevent water from entering the battery compartment. If the cap breaks off, you will have to use a wrench each time to ensure water stays outside the sensitive area.

A few users have reported a broken knob, with at least one user saying that unfortunately he did not tighten the screw enough to lock in the rubber seal and water leaked in to the battery compartment. Now his machine turns off every 15 seconds and he called it a “$1,000 paperweight”. Ouch! That’s a lot to spend for an unusable piece of machinery, so users beware: go slowly with the knob or you may be flushing your money in the water!
At the price the SeaDoo RS2 SeaScooter is tagged at, it does not deliver according to expectations. This is one device for which you will find better alternatives easily at a lower price.